Meter.



i). C. THOMAS.

METER.

APPLlcAmN mm APR.Y10.1913.

Lm @,71?. .Patented m1131917.

1 To aille-whom t may coiwewa:

` .fol-lowing is e full; clear', concise, and exact` CARL o. THOMAS, or Memsoiv, wisconsin.

METER.'

Specification of :Letters Patent;

Patented Mai 13, 1191i'.

Appiicetifm ined prix 1o, 1913.. sentirmi. 760,133.

Be it known thatI, OAMC. THoMA's, e

v` citizen of the 'United States,` residing at Madison; in ithe"couility".of vDzin'e ond State vof lVisconsm, have linvented new. and use-v ful' Improvements in Meters; O' Which-'the I: .dcscriptiom-,reerence being had vto the Aa'c.-

n have described the operation o o meter' herein the'ow of steam'-.- ,fas'or vapors' may he accurately determined' -and outocompanyingl y drawing,

:formino a part of this'spec ifiigatiirlg` l i y i meters.

Gehweg-mee Mey 12,1911, r have illus;

tinted miore or less dieigrommatlcolly, and

l' ineticilly recorded .by theuseof an. elec.-

tricnlly operated eiidcontrolled heztterrofnd able, 'heatei"'8,vvhich is preferoblyonfelectrice-1 hector consistii'ig of e screen or' grid of resistance vmaterial through which cur-- a pair of'resistance therinometers. A

The present' invention" 1s 'directed toward .the structurel features ond-orren freinentof such e. meter, 'has :rmon'g the morehlm. portant ob1ccts which mlght be enumerated,

the foll owing:

To' provide eineter 'wherein the losses. 'and 1n uccurnc1es,'due to different tempera-'-' tures. in 1 different partsv ofthe'fepparatm,

are minimized, therebyinsurmg high eiciency oud eccur'a'cy-offoperetion,i

To provide wineter in which theiiiiigd fiowsV substantial-lyvertically through the heating :ind -temperotre indicating eieinents. v

To providefor the ready removal of; condensed moisture from the immediate .vi-

cinity of s aidelements.

,To provide `,.o'-co'nstructioi, wherein the.-

important .pertsf arefreodily eccessible ffor inspection androgen-L 1- {I n the accompanyin'gfI 'drawingsyl have illustrated what I co'lsider-to bethepre-` ierred'emhodimcnt ci thefinvntion. Other embodiments may 1 be devised, however, which foil Within the scope'of theinvention,` and, acco1'di n,f ;l 'v,l I vdonot limit myself .to l

having; on one side .e 'hanged extension 2 surrounding `the inlet for the fiui'd `whose iow is to be' measured, ondhovingfasimiler Mv inventionrelats'to 'improvements in l In' mi @vender appli-bison.; cenone;

tel plone covering siihstintielly the fnged extension' 3 on the opposite side,

whereby seid housing muy be suitzibly bolt'- ed, or otherwiseconnected to 'pipes or. conduits,` the latter ordinarily being .arranged horizontally." rl`he housing' is divided"by novelll or Apartition 4,' having 'en opening ""therein, preferably of circuler forni, Whichreceives the borrelorcylindrical supporting. element. 5,the'latter being provided withv "n, suitable flange 6, whereby ihtnioy bese` cured in 4p'osltio'n by Studs7.

,The direction of iow of fluid through theliousing is indicated by the tivo-arrows,

'seid gas'entering ai; the left',A as seen in Fig. 1, and i'oivi'ngjfirstdiagonally downwardirnd' then vertically upward through .the

borrel :5, vvhe nce"it lowsdiagonally down- 'ivzird to" the right, and thenthrough the outlet. .The Huid; it fiowsjupwordly throughpthe borrel 5, is' heartedl by it suit-` rent flows, thereby. causing the resistor to the partition 4 and is arranged ine horizon cross-sectional-zirea oi said barrel..

enti re .dissipate heat Said heater isl located pie-v Y erablyy about in' line with the central part of The' temperature of the-approching gosc ance thermometer -9, located beloiv fthe heater-8,

resistance wlre disposed. substantially unibarrel.

sistin'ce', which varies with Aits temperature, is an indication of the latter. TheresistH ance v1s readily measured, the .screen is 'isindi'coted-bye-'suitable resistor or resist'- SeidV thermometer, in 'the prei -erred -orm,. corn`pr1ses screen-or grid ci connected :is part of un electric circuit, not4 disclosed herein, as it-'forms no portici the Theteinperatu-re 'of the gas, after it .passes the electric heater. ismecsured .by n vsecond A electric reslstence theren'ioineter l0,

the latter being preferably a duplicate of loo 'present invention. Further1no1e,`tlie details ofthev resistancethermometer and. of the 'electric heiteiiforin no part of the present `invention faerie, and, accordiugly,v are not to the heater. lVithout going into the details of the operation, which latter are set out fully in my co-pending application referred to above, it is sufficient for present purposes to understand thatl the currenhsupplied to the electric heater S maybe automatically regulated so as to maintain a constant temperature difference` between the two resistance therniometers 9 and 10. It this is done, the electric energy consumed by the electric heater will be a measure of the quantity of the passing fluid irrespective of variations in the temperature or pressure thereof. Y

A suitable screen 11 is located at the lower md of the barrel 5, and a similar screen 12 is located at the upper end thereof. These screens insure greater uniformity in the flow of the fluid, and the lower screen serves to catch foreign matter which may be conveyed therein, and to form a surface on which moisture may condense.

It will be seen that the temperature of the entering gas is lower than that of the gas as itl leaves the housing, the difference being in some cases, about two degrees F. 'It is essential for the accurate operation `of the meter that as little heat as possible be transferred, either te or from the body ot fluid between the thermometers, through the wall of the barrel 5. In order to insure that this heat tansfer shall be a minimum, I have arranged said barrel within the housing in such a manner that the part of the barrel below the heater is iii-coming gas and thereby tends to main tain the same temperature as said in-coming gas; whereas, the part of the barrel above the heater is jacketed by the ont-gdv ing or heated gas. Hence the gas, both within and without the lower part of the barrel, is of substantially the same temperature, and likewise the gas within and without the upper part ot' the barrel is ol substantially the same temperature. although of ay higher temperature than the gas be low. Accordingly, there is no conduction 1of heat through the `walls ot' the barrel either outwardly or inwardly.' This insures that there will be no change 'in the temperature of the flowing stream after passing the first thermometer-and before reaching the heater, and after passing the heater and before reaching the second thermometer. Thus, any losses or .inaccuracies which might result from a heat transfer to or from the fluid between the thermometers are reduced to a minimum.

The flow of fluid through 'the inner barrel in a vertical direction has an important function in that, it the gas should cease to flow through the meter. due to some unex pected cause1 the body of gas within the barrel and above the heater would be heated to a much higher temperature than the gas lis adapted to be readily connected in j acketed by the ner as to automatically reduce or cut off the flow of heating current through the heater. If the fluid flowed through a horizontal chamber within which the heater and thermometers were arranged in lvertical planes, a cessation in the flow would result in the two resistance thermol'neters attaining eventually the same average resistance. In other words, the temperature difference that they represent, would decrease to zero, resulting in a tendency toward an indefinite increase in the heating current by the automatic control, to the great detriment of the equipment. To obviate this difficulty where a horizontally arranged chamber must be used` it is necessary to' provide special ai1xiliary means'for cutting oil' the heating current in an emergent: Y such as suggested. Such special equipment forms the subject matter of a separate pending application. In any case, if the heating current is not reduced, there is danger of destroying the heater and the thermometers, together with ,their associated parts.

The present structure has a housin the horizontal portion of a-main, meters of. this type being often employed to measure large quantities of steam. gas or vapors, the latter usually flowing through horizontal mains.

k'()t course, the inner barrel might be mounted directly within a vertical main. lVith a const'rilction and arrangement of parts such as shown herein, 'the vertical flow of the fluid tl1rough.the inner barrel is satisfactorily attained even in conjunction with a horizontally arranged main or pipe. A further advantage of the vertical flow through the inner barrel is that the'temperature ol the entire cross-section of the 110 any point, is more nearly uniform than it said stream were flowing horizontally. In other words, horizontal temperature stata and short circuits, yz". local currents in Errors are also minimized, which might be caused by non-uniformity of resistance in the same corresponding areas of the two thern'iomcters.

flowing stream. at

lt is important that any moisture which 120 is carried in the gas or other. fluid be removed as far as possible before `reaching the electrical elements located within the inner barrel. Said moisture tendsc to condense,- on the walls of the housing and, as previously stated, is removed in part by said screen 1l. The moisture, therefore, drains naturally to the lowest part'of the housing and may be removed through a suitable outlet 13, arranged preferably in 130 that the flow, are avoided.

i :1. removable corer lli'. An-:xdditionul Cover? Lemmy ortop cover is providechthe latter gir- "ing ready access tio-the inner barrel.v 5, which 'latter may, therei'cu'e, be reimived, if 'necesssi'ry or the various electrical appliances mounted therein muy be reinoyed'independenti-y thereof or vmuy be .inspected when# ever desired,

The electrico] vcmin'ectionswith the extermal circuits are `inside within suitable *.ineldsure or .outlet box 1G, located preferably at the' side of the housing. The .cir-

.cui-t conductors and the terminals'v :ire not l5 'it is to be understood, of Confed-that, es previously stzi'.tcd, `the'inventionis not lun?.

Shownu's they ere not material to the present disclosui. v'

fited to the details of-co'nsti'uction or relative arrangement o' parts disclosed herein, ex

'cept where.',liinitutionsare imposed in the v appended, claims.

phases of 'the invention ure concerned, it 1s As far assume of the .'CleSire, therefore, to cover, as falling within-v the. scope ot the -iuyentiom whatever other elements may be substituted, capable of performing the -sunie general functions, und. Whateverother general forms may be de- 'vised, wherever such' 'modiiicat'ions full 'within the scopeo'f sind claims.

' Hating'thus'described my inyenti.on,wh1t

.I 'claim as new and desire to secure by Let- 'tersPatent Aof the United.' States is;

1'.' ln "n iluidinete'r, ineens for heutingfthe 4-liuid as it loivs therethrough, and means Causing the heated :indunhezited fluid. to jacketthe fluid being heated..

`^ 2. In e fluid .'meter, ineens for ,heating the" uicl as it tio-ws tl'ieretlirough, 'nv pair of' temperat'ure resl'ionsire devices onef'sulijected l to said. fluid before and vthe other after heeting, end'means causing-the entering iluid zirid 'the `out-going fluid tojucl'ret the fluid hetween. ysaid temperature responsive. de; vices in' zr fluid siiid heater. :ind preventing a deviation' in the 'tenu'iereture'of thel fluid about to vhe v `heated from the `tenipeieture .et the 'Huidvv entering the meter. l 4. in a fluid meter, men-ns for heatmg the fluid. andineans for directing said fini-d past seid heater and preventing :i deviation in`- thefteniperature oi"4 the duid immediately efter'henting.

lnI zr fluid instel', ineens for 'heating the.

lluid'es'it tlows'therethrough, and means.

vceusiifig seid fluid to Abe'jeelrei'ged by tluid lnt .its owntempereture just prior to being heated sind vtoiles jaelreted also just'.

quently to being-heated,-byfiuid :it itsii'icreasedtemperature,

(i. lin a' fluid meter, means for heating the fluid, means for directing sind fluid past .said heater, and means-for preventing u -transfer of lieuttlu'ougli'tlie said direnting means adjacent to the heater..

i'. I n :i fluid meter, menus 'for (luid, n .resistance thermometer arranged' on ezieh side of Suid licziting'ineui'is, igienns'for directing` said iiuid pais-t said heater and suid' resistance thermometers, und means' for, preventing u transfer of heut through the seid vheating the `directing means between the tw o points one on `euch side" of said heater, the fluid,

whose 'rute of iiow is to bemeusui'ed, flow-- ing,f through seid conduit und surrounding the same beth above und belowsuid wall',

uf'liereby the 'louer'end of said1 conduit is.

jacket/ed by 'the cool r iii-comingfluid,` and the upper end ot' sind conduit is gucketed lfln :i iuid meter wherein the rate of flow is determined by :i change-of tempera.-

other, whereby. the tendency of theheated fluid to rise affects seid temperature respon-Q sire devices eno causes :i 'deviation from the normal voperetthm5'to prevent .excessive heating it' said luidessens its normal flowY '10.' In a duid ineterfqei lionsin'g-l1aviif outletend inlet vports in substantially vzontel alinenient, ineenser vcei'rsing the iluid'to flow' through kssi-id housing in substantially verticaii direction, an electrio heater in said'housing, and e ptir of resist ence thermometers'arranged' onegafbove and I i ene' below seid heater 'whereby the upmeter', means for heating the iuid'and ineens for' directing. Said fluid-pastn ieyide. an 'unbalanced ,condition available ture 'in the ioiyingfluid, :i pair ofsfheiitresponsive. devices' nrrunged one mier 'thev winged to reuse the :juidto'ow vertieally therethrough, means forheating the'"flowing perature measuring means is substantially uniform at an)Y given cross section of the flowing stream.

l2. ln a fluid meter, a housing having outlet and inlet ports 'in substantially horizontal alinement, means in said housing for causing the fluid to flow vertically therethrough and electrical heating and temperature res;')onsive appliances arranged in said housing in vertical alinement for the purpose specilied.

1?, ln a fluid meter, a housing, a vertical conduit arrangedthereiin a heater arranged horizontally within said conduit and disposed across the same, and a pair of resistance thermometers arranged one above and one below said heater and each disposed across said conduit, whereby fluid flowingr upwardly through said conduit will be heated and the increase of temperature indicated by said resistance thermometers, and whereby an abnormal decrease. or cessation of the flow of' said fluid will result in said resistance thermometers indicating an abnormal temperature difference between the two.

l-l. In a fluid meter, a housing havingr inletand outlet ports arranged substantially in horizontal alinement, means within said housing for directing-the flow of fluid in a vertical direction, and meansv forheating said fluid during its vertical How.

- 15. In a fluid meter, a housing, a conduit spaced from the outer walls thereof and surrounded by the fluid whose flow is being measured,`r and a partition about the middle' of said conduit to separate the heated from the unheated fluid whereby the condensation of any vapor carried by said fluid is substantially prevented during its passage through said conduit. A l

lo. A meter comprising a housing having openings at opposite vsides thereof, and having an outlet at the lowest point of said housingr for draining moisture which may collect therein, a partition within said housing serving to divide the same into an upper and a lower chamber with each of which one of said openings communicates, a vertieall,v arranged barrel supported centrally within said partition, an electric heater arranged centrally within said barrel, an electric resistance thermometer arranged onV each side of said heater within said barrel, a screen arranged near each end of said barrel'l and the upper part of sai'd housing consisting of a removable cover whereby access may be had to said barrel and associated parts.

.In witness whereof, 1 have hereunto subscribed my name lin the presence of two witnesses.

CARL C. THOMAS. lVitnesses:

A. G. CHRISTIE, H. J. THonKELsoN. 

